New Dime Design Omits the Olive Branch

A special-edition dime meant to honor 250 years of American history is getting attention for what's not on it. The 2026 "semiquincentennial" dime, part of a one-year redesign of all circulating coins, drops both Franklin D. Roosevelt's portrait and the familiar torch-and-branches motif—and puts an eagle on the back with a bare talon where many expected an olive branch, reports Nexstar.

Since the late 18th century, the US Great Seal has shown an eagle holding arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other, symbolizing war and peace, with the bird facing the side of peace. On the new dime, the eagle clutches only arrows, under the motto "LIBERTY OVER TYRANNY." That omission has ignited criticism on Reddit and elsewhere, with some users questioning the optics.

The US Mint says the choice was deliberate. The Washington Post quotes an interview given by medallic artist Eric David Custer, who created the design. He said the empty talon is a reference to Revolutionary-era colonists still waiting for peace. The front of the coin shows a personified Liberty, hair swept by the "winds of revolution," wearing a liberty cap with stars and stripes. The US Mint notes that "in 2027, the dime will revert to the immediately previous design."